Tech News

Réunion Wing Segment Is Definitely from MH370, Say French Officials 

French officials have just confirmed that the flaperon that washed up on the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion in late July is “certainly” from MH370. Thank the merciful lord, that mystery was getting out of hand. For those who haven’t been following the saga, a brief bit of background: Late last month, a wing…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Welcome to another installment of sweet new apps. In this week’s batch we’ve got an app that takes the concept of live video streaming to the next level, a social app that lets you spout off your opinion as much as you’d like, and more. Without further ado, let’s dig in. Android Mirrativ If Twitch…

A Secret Blaster on Hasbro’s Battle Action Millennium Falcon Fires Nerf Darts

A Star Wars film without the Millennium Falcon just isn’t a Star Wars film. That’s why those prequels felt so weird, and why The Force Awakens made sure to include that bucket of space bolts. The same applies to Star Wars toy lines, so here’s Hasbro’s latest take on Solo’s ship. Designed for kids aged…

Onkyo’s New Wireless Earbuds Look Hilariously Huge

Onkyo is best known for its strong tradition of audiophile-grade home theater gear. But the legendary Japanese hi-fi company is branching out, andjust unveiled a massive-looking set of completely wireless earbuds at IFA in Berlin. They probably sound great, but like home theater components, you probably couldn’t go jogging with them. Don’t get me wrong,…

This old man’s memories are so vivid they feel completely real

Sometimes all it takes is a smell or an image or a flavor to bring back memories so realistic that you almost feel like you’ve traveled back in time. It’s the easiest way to revisit your past without having to worry about unraveling the fabric of the space-time continuum. However, some memories can be a…

Poopfiction Is a Site That Picks the Perfect Story For Your Bathroom Break

We all check (and double-check) our social media while ‘killing time’ in the bathroom, but what happens when you run out of new posts? A new site called Poopfiction is here to help, serving up short stories depending on how much time you think you’ll be in the loo. All of the stories come courtesy…

Julia Turner pens a deliciously quotable ode to geology as part of Slate’s Classes You Should Take series. From the “dense poetry” of the technical vocabulary to how unravelling what shapes our planet can “feel like X-ray vision or a sixth sense,” you’ll finish convinced that geology is more than rocks for jocks. Tip via…

Subpoenaed Clinton Staffer Will Plead the Fifth Over Email Scandal Questions

The FBI is investigatingwhether Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email compromised national security. And now the staffer who set it up is planning to stay silentduring questioning to avoid incriminating himself. Bryan Pagliano, the Clinton IT staffer who set up the private email server for Clinton in her Chappaqua home, first attempted to fend…

These cards look like they’re floating on their own and destroying gravity

Zach Mueller has mastered the art of cardistry and in doing so, probably destroyed the laws of gravity. The Fontaine cards he’s using seem to have a mind of their own with special rules that don’t apply to other objects on this planet. It’s not so much that his hands are controlling the card but…

Wacom’s New Digitizing Notebook Could Bring Me Back to Pen and Paper

I love writing stuff down. Well, I love the idea of writing stuff down. Often I abandon the actual task because keeping track and archiving written notes is a huge pain in the ass. Wacom has a new toy called Bamboo Spark that digitizes your handwritten notes without you having to think about it…much. The…

This Professor Can Teach Anyone Calculus Using These Simple, Beautiful Animations

Calculus: A word that triggers involuntary fear spasms in the best of us. But the days of slogging through tedious textbook derivatives are over, if you want them to be. For the past few years, people across the world have studied calculus for free online, by exploring a set of gorgeous, dynamic animations. “My goal…

Ricoh’s Theta S 360-Degree Camera Gets an Image Quality Upgrade

A few years ago, Ricoh launched its odd little 360 camera, the Theta. Since then we’ve seen countless others. But how many of them allow you to dump your images and footage on Google Maps? The new Rioch Theta S looks basically the same as the last model but it’s got some improved specs. The…

Use Dropbox to Keep a Shared List of Links or Bookmarks

Dropbox is one of those services that’s always getting a minor upgrade or two in the background without anyone really noticing. One of the newest features added to the web interface is the ability to drag-and-drop links into a Dropbox folder for safe keeping—the feature’s rather rudimentary right now, but it’s a useful way of…

Video: The scientific art of sound when making a guitar

The Art of Sound is a short documentary by Rodgers Townsend that reveals a bit of the genius of Tom Bills and the painstaking precision that goes into his making of guitars. Equal parts science and art, every decision of every carving of every shape of every guitar is motivated by making the instrument sound…

Google May Hold a Nexus Event on September 29

When a company announces a new phone, it generally comes with a tech event. It’s true of Apple, Samsung, LG, and every other smartphone maker out there—except for Google. The Nexus phones usually just come out quietly with a press release and availability in the Google Store. That might be changing this year. Technology is…

Before we invented the tough, tearable plastic we use for condom wrappers, condoms came in tins of three. And as this 2006 post on Cardhouse shows, those tins were a canvas for some pretty amusing advertising. Like the Three Cadets “standing at attention”, or Dr. Robinson’s prescription pad (oh, these are just for my medical…

Her Screams for Help Were Ignored, But Her Murder Inspired the Creation of 911

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was returning home from her job as a bartender around 3 a.m. when she was attacked–two times–and then raped and killed by the same man. The string of crimes took place in her New York City apartment building, and 38 witnesses did nothing to help her. Twenty-eight years old at the…

Sphero BB-8 Review: This Is the Coolest Star Wars Toy Ever

For the past 38 years there hasn’t been a robot more loved by fans than Star Wars’ R2-D2. But that could all soon change when The Force Awakens hits theaters, especially now that anyone can own a tiny working version of the movie’s BB-8 droid that can roll and balance all by itself. Star Wars…

An Extra Door On This Front-Loading Washer Lets You Add Last Minute Additions

They’re more eco-friendly than top-loading machines, but front-loading washers don’t let you add forgotten garments once the wash cycle has started. With the addition of a second smaller door, though, Samsung’s new WW8500 AddWash lets you toss in that missing sock you just found. The extra door, located at the top of the washer’s main…

How NASA Created a Flight Simulator for the First Astronauts Landing on the Moon

December 5, 1961. A man at the controls of a module gazes at the lunar surface from close up. Is this an astronaut, approaching the Moon nearly eight years before Apollo 11? Nope—it’s a pilot testing Project LOLA, a massive network of hand-painted mosaics and tracked cameras that trained astronauts for the moon landings. Test…